The Feast Is for People
That is why here, at The Feast, the front and center of all that we do are our Mercy Ministries.
In 1993, we put up the Light of Jesus Pastoral Care Center for the burdened, the broken, and the wounded of society.
We are available six days a week, 14 hours a day. Anybody can call us up. We’ve been doing this for 32 years now.
In 1995, we started Anawim. There are 70 old persons right now in our home.
This has been going on for 30 years now.
We have the Light of Jesus Prison Ministry. We are reaching out to so many prisons right now, reaching out to and loving Persons Deprived of Liberty.
Pag-asa ng Pamilya is our ministry granting scholarships for poor students.
Grace To Be Born is our halfway house for pregnant women in crisis (so they won’t resort to abortion).
We started Little Acts of Love during the devastating Yolanda storm that hit Leyte. We were there caring for the victims.
Jeremiah Foundation is our shelter for sexually-abused young girls. Our latest one is Jesus Christ Cares for Cancer, our ministry providing financial assistance and spiritual support for poor cancer patients.
My friends, the Kingdom of God is among you in every Ministry that we start because the people are above the value structure of the Kingdom.
The Feast Is for the Unchurched
The Feast cares for the unchurched– people who are not comfortable in church. They are people who feel far away from God. We bring them in. That’s our focus. They are the people we serve.
I was asked by one of the leaders: “Brother Bo, our Feast is running a couple’s retreat and they’re asking if we should accept couples who are not married in church…”
I said, “You better ask your leaders and your Feast Builders.”
But my answer is Yes –because this is who we are as a Feast. We reach out to people who have not been going to church for the longest time.
We bring them in and we love them. We may have to have two separate renewals because there’s nothing to renew because they were not married in church but maybe we can have a special blessing for them after the renewal of marriage vows. But the point is that they’re part of our family because that’s what the Kingdom of God is.
Two days ago, I received this message from someone, through the Instagram:
This guy went into The Feast because a girl invited him there. He kind of liked the girl– but he was an atheist.
He went to The Feast and in his mind, he was saying: “I don’t believe in all of these.
I don’t believe in God.”
But he kept on attending and attending. Maybe, for the wrong reasons but then
God came to him. That’s the Feast.
We welcome everyone who is loved by God.
Question
I’m going to ask you the question of the Pharisees:
“When is the Kingdom supposed to come?
Where is the Kingdom?
If Jesus says the Kingdom of God is among you, where is the Kingdom?”
My answer is wherever imperfect people love God and their neighbor.
That’s the Kingdom in our midst.
Yesterday, we caught someone in the act of doing something wonderful. His name is Arnold Gomez. He’s our driver of our Feast Media Ministry. He’s 55 years old. He has four children. He has been our driver for 18 years. His boss, Ruby Albino, caught Arnold in the act of going to our Feast Mercy Ministries booth where you’re supposed to donate. Ruby saw Arnold pulling out his wallet and giving something. His heart is in the right place.
Another person who gives me a glimpse of the Kingdom is Judge Marlina (Millan Manuel, Presiding Judge Regional Trial Court Manila.)
In 2006, she became a Judge in RTC.
In 2012, she walked into The Feast and she loved it. She wanted to do something for the Lord.
Since she is a judge, I was thinking that she would say: “May I be part of the Board? May I lead the Ministry?”
But no. She wanted to be an usher. From Monday to Friday, when Judge Marlina (left) enters her chambers, everybody stands to honor the position that she holds. But on Sundays, Judge Marlina (as Feast usher, here, distributing envelopes) will stand for every one of you who walks by– whether you’re a billionaire or a beggar, whether you are a manager or a messenger. She will smile at you. She will welcome you. She will love you.
Judge Marlina has been serving in the Warmth Ministry as an usher at The Feast for 13 long years now.
What is that? That is the Kingdom of God among you– where people, no matter who they are, even if they don’t have power or wealth, or beauty, they’re God’s children.
Remembering Bro. Bimbo
I have one last story to tell you. This story is a bit difficult to share.
We remember Bro. Bimbo Leonardo, the builder of Feast Timog. The Lord was using him. The Feast was growing.
But then, he found out that he had cancer — an aggressive one.
Recently, we had a Feast Builders Retreat. He was supposed to be there but he was in the hospital.
While in the Retreat, we had a video call with Bimbo. I still remember that video call. It was so difficult.
We were crying because we knew he had very little time left. But I’m telling you, there was so much love in the room.
Above, our team praying over Bro. Bimbo during our video call.
Let’s face it. As leaders, we fight once in a while. We’re not perfect. We would have comments against this and that person, but at that moment, every transgression disappeared. Every hurt vanished. All of a sudden, we were one family because we knew one man was suffering. A man who served with us
and a man who loved us and whom we loved.
Two days later, after that video call, God took him home. Do you know when Bimbo passed away? On the birthday of his wife, Elsa. I didn’t know what to tell Elsa. I was driving to his wake, and in my mind, I was debating over what to say when I would see Elsa. Will I greet her “Happy Birthday” even if her husband died on her birthday?
I really didn’t know what to say. I walked in. Elsa was there.
When she saw me, Elsa walked towards me.
Elsa hugged me for a long time, then she said, “Brother Bo, God wanted that Bimbo and I would have the same birthday. It’s my birthday on Earth, and it’s Bimbo’s birthday in Heaven.”
Only people of faith can say something like that. We’re all going to be like Bimbo one day. It’s just a question of when. But are we going to leave planet Earth serving the Lord and loving God? And will we be like Elsa?
This is not the end of the story. Elsa told me something more.
When Elsa knew that her husband was about to go home, Elsa whispered to Bimbo: “If you see Jesus in front of you, follow Him already. Just be sure it’s Jesus. You go home. You be with Him.”
Before the Bubbles Burst
My friends, I don’t know when God will call me home. I don’t know when God will call you home. But He will.
In the meantime, we can look at the bubbles of life, before they pop– because they will pop.
Your health will be gone, your strength will weaken… Take care of your body. Exercise.
Your wealth, when you die, what will happen to P1 billion? Those are all just bubbles. Nothing. Enjoy living. Be like a child. Just play.
Use everything for the glory of God. Use it to serve people. Use your health, your wealth, your fame, and your beauty. Use them for God and for the people of God. Then when the bubbles burst, you follow Jesus.
My friends, maybe we have been following the powers and the values of this world. Maybe we have been reporting to other kings. They have become more important than people. But now, He wants you to be an EKR or Everyday Kingdom Revolutionary.
Jesus is risen from the dead and He is announcing to everyone: “You too will rise. Follow me.”
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lift your hands and say this prayer with me:
Jesus, on this day, I believe that I too will rise. But while I am here on planet Earth, I choose to follow You, to love You, and to love my neighbor, and to not be attached to temporary things but to be attached only to You.
In Your Name. Amen.
Surrender
May I lead you to a prayer.
Maybe for some of you, you’re going to say for the first time that you’re going to surrender, to follow Jesus, asking Him to come into your heart. I’m so excited for you.
For the rest of you, let’s renew our baptismal promise on Easter Sunday.
One more time, lift your hands and say this prayer:
Father, I surrender my life to You. I open my heart. Jesus, be the Lord, be the King. I will obey
You forever. I give You my entire life. Until my last breath, I will serve You. I will follow You. Help me.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.
